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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chair — a leader
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. root — the cause
  5. rule — government
  6. stock — goods
  7. swing — music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stock — shares
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cue — for pool
  16. root — of a word
  17. ground — the earth
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. ground — a position
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com